Pulpit To Pew

In this episode, Rev. Beverly Gibson and Johnny Gwin discuss the story and lessons in the Palm Sunday Gospel. Through the dramatic reading of the physical and existential journey of Jesus, and exploring the Way of The Cross, Beverly lays out a roadmap to lead us through the coming week of Holy Week. From Jesus being welcomed by Jerusalem as a hero, to the self-emptying of his own power and grief, to his brutal death on the Cross. Do we look at the real self-sacrifice, shame, and suffering Jesus endured for us? What things in life do we do to betray and deny Jesus? When are we like Judas? Like Peter? Do we show up for God using our gifts, talents, and resources to help Christ and our whole community? The Church needs to be seen as a place for you to give back (sacrifice) to your community, not a “what’s in it for me” mindset.

During Holy Week and Easter, try to see Christ in the challenges, frustrating and ugly things in life? Could you see Christ in dealing with the most difficult people in your life? Perhaps your calling is not to judge and retaliate; maybe your roll is to serve those frustrating and challenging people.

What You Will Here:

> What’s a dramatic reading of Palm Sunday Gospel?
> Mystery Plays is a very old traditions of Church
> Infotainment for the ancient
> Bringing the hassles and distractions of the world into the Church and Mass
> Starting Palm Sunday in the garden – the beauty and the challenges
> Palm Sunday sermon is challenging for many priests
> Beverly lays out roadmap of leading through the coming week of Holy Week
> Passio – root word for passion – means suffering and pain
> Passion and love – can be a painful endeavor
> Walk on the way of the cross to find the way of peace
> Self-offering and pouring yourself out – Self-emptying
> John’s Gospel – the dinner with Jesus at Mary & Martha’s home with Lazarus – a human and tender moment
> Washing of the feet – Nard and Mary – a precious offering
> Judas questions the use of the nard oil
> The existential journey of Jesus heading to Golgotha
> Jesus grieves and pleads in Gethsemane
> The consumer culture glosses over the pain and suffering of The Passion – we sanitize
> What is in it for me? – Church shouldn’t be this way
> The Way Of The Cross – the taunting and the shaming – sanitizing
> Twitter shaming and Jon Ronson
> Social media and when the world turns on people who makes mistakes
> Turning on a “hero”
> Jesus as the ultimate outsider – Nothing good comes from Nazareth
> The mob mentality of Jerusalem turning on Jesus
> “Sealed with a kiss” – does that have to do with Judas kissing Jesus
> What was Judas’s motive to betray Jesus?
> Judas had turned well before the betrayal
> The shame moments: Peter denying 3 times, the bag of money, the crowds shouting “Crucify Him!”
> Palm Sunday – a story of shame and failure
> If you want to be a leader – you have to be a servant of all
> Maundy – Queen Elizabeth viewed that her sovereignty was thrust upon her by God to serve her subjects
> If you are only doing Church for you then you are missing the point
> What is faith that doesn’t encompass suffering?
> Holy Week Challenge: Attempt to see Christ this week in all things – not just the brighter parts of life and the pleasant people.
> Try to see Christ in the challenges, frustrating and ugly things and in the worst people in your life
> Perhaps your roll is to serve those frustrating and challenging people
> The mob mentality in biblical context and in the Church parishioners
> Easter is the Christian Superbowl
> Easter is the start of the spiritual year
> The 3 acts of the Easter Season
> God resurrected by the agent of Jesus
> Human leaders do not self-sacrifice and voluntarily giving away of power
> Military as a self-giving and true sacrifice
> Peggy Noonan – What has happened to the American Dream?
> Noonan: we have simplified and commoditized the national ideals we use to hold so important
> Balancing between taking for yourself and giving to others
> Historically looking at the place of the Church in community, social initiatives and services
> A greater good for all of us when giving up of one’s self
> Joseph of Arimathea – shows up at pivotal time and is an excellent example of someone using his gifts and resources to help Christ, his followers, and the whole community

In this episode and continuing our Lenten journey out of the wilderness, Rev. Beverly Gibson discusses “breathing new life” into the lifeless and the hope for the everlasting life that defeats death. To raise Lazarus Jesus relied and call on his Father to perform this miracle. How do we respond to Jesus’ example of such confident dependence on God? It can give us the power of hope in adversity.

What you will hear:

> Mardi Gras makes Lent an active season in Mobile, Alabama
> Journey ramping up to Palm Sunday and Easter
> The finer points of summering in Point Clear and Manhattan
> Ezekial – Valley of the dry bones discussion, commentary, and insights
> Bones: Isreal is dry in spirit and hope
> Ezekial is told to call on the “breath” and “wind” to fill the bones and animates the bones with God’s Spirit
> Is the Valley Of The Dry Bones an example of a priestly call?
> Prayer in Mass to animate the Eucharist in turn to feed and animate us in God’s Spirit
> Rev. Gibson’s reason and virtue of using Rite 1 during Lent
> The Prayer of Humble Access – explanation. What does this say about my existence with God?
> The women that grabs Jesus’s cloak – example of humbleness and being made whole by your faith
> Your desire to claim your faith is the thing that heals you and makes you whole
> What if we don’t see ourselves as “dry” and “dead” in our faith?
> What are the tombs of our lives?
> Breathing “new life” into the segments and parts of our general life
> The “breath of life” = inspiration
> Ryan Murphy, TV writer reference
> What is a muse?
> Anam Cara – the “soul friend” reprise
> The “It’s Complicated” relationship of the early Israelites and God
> Jesus and Lazarus – the power over death
> What’s the last thing a redneck says before they die?
> Lamb by Christopher Moore – perspective of Biff – Jesus’s friend (book)
> Jesus is preparing for his entrance into Jerusalem
> Knowing the context of the story before the weekly readings from the pulpit
> Jesus’s human and close relationship with Martha, Mary, & Lazarus
> Why was Jesus two days late to get to Lazarus?
> Jesus is fully God and fully human – did Jesus have any fear that he might not be able raise Lazarus?
> Why did Jesus weep at Lazarus’s tomb?
> A priest’s perspective of speaking and presiding over a funeral
> Understanding and seeing the depth and complexity of The Bible
> What happens to Lazarus?
> If someone is brought back from the dead can you die again
> Jesus’s power over death and his choice to die for us and understand death
> Grace – Losing faith and having the strength and gifts to regain it
> The gift of the Spirit: Living in Christ not living of Christ
> Leveling up in the life in Christ
> The Burial Right – The deceased me grow in strength after death
> Eternal life – there is no death
> Resurrection within your life and still continue to grow with strength
> Why Rev. Gibson doesn’t recycle sermons year to year
> Connecting with the listeners in the pew
> Where we are on our Lenten Journey: our dependence (reliance) on God
> To bring life back in the lifeless places

In this episode, Rev. Beverly Gibson and Johnny Gwin explore how the endeavor of self-discovery is transformed when we realize the grounding of our identity in God. Illustrated in the lessons of the blind man (from birth) being healed by Jesus and Samuel’s anointing of a young King David, the subject of their and our spiritual transformation is addressed. This spiritual and physical formation to the person God wants us to be starts with our baptism. In our baptism, a complete rebirth, we are given all the faith from God we will ever need. However, there is a catch, to be truly transformed it’s our duty to draw it out, mature it, develop it. Are you taking responsibility for your Christian formation? Are you assisting others on their journeys of self-discovery and complete formation? Are we capable of seeing our path and the way to properly worship and honor God? Or, are we blind to his truth, gifts, and possibilities?

What You Will Hear:

> Learners not the learned will inherit the earth
> Be open to seeing the truth and not being so sure you know everything – while you can see are you really seeing
> Is the doctrine and the culture of the Church become too rigid?
> Jesus’s use of parables to be read in many different ways
> Parents protecting their son in the Gospel – not so much fear but protection
> Opened up completely spiritually and physically to be able to see the truth and be transform to a believer
> Blind man being healed is a true narrative of someone being reborn into the world spiritually and physically
> A new birth = Baptism
> Once your baptized your formation will continue – it’s a total rebirth
> In your baptism you are given all the faith you will ever need – it’s your duty to draw it out, mature it, develop it
> Ministry Architects helping our Christ Church Cathedral to put us on the path of our parish self-discovery
> Taking responsibility for our spiritual formation
> Christ Church is metaphorically in the teenage years of our formation
> Christ Church Cathedral – an old church that is actually young. We are a peculiar entity that creates an opportunity of new life and possibilities
> Beverly’s pop culture reference: Might Morphin Power Rangers movie and how she was entertained and enlightened by this teenage movie
> Leaders and Gurus typical reaction of “these are the chosen ones for this gift or mission”
> Samual – the King Maker choosing King David – the biblical dating game
> David the forgotten is the actual choice
> God doesn’t see the world like Man. Man sees the outward appearance, God sees the heart
> Transformation has to happen before the education
> Information versus formation & education versus formation
> Transformation comes from ritualian routine, some sort of literal practice that you engage in
> Western Christianity adopting more the ancient ways and even the Eastern ways
> Self-examination and the importance of this exercise to Self Discovery
> Our relationship to Samual and David in the first reading
> The Imposter Syndrome in the weekly lessons
> The Spirit Voice versuses the Parent Voice. Which should we should listen to
> Teachers learning from the students
> Working to form others when you are still working on forming yourself
> The Church seen as a school
> Being around the young is an opportunity to see another world – it can enrich your life
> Power Rangers origin story reflects that the idea that before they can “morph” they need to come to a certain place of self-awareness, vulnerability, and a realization of a reliance on others
> Your formation and transformation is within you, but you have to do the work and have the awareness to release it from within you

In this episode, Rev. Gibson and Johnny Gwin discuss the themes of meeting God and Living Water. What would it be like to meet Jesus? What would you say? Would you know who he was? Jesus’s interaction with the Samarian women at Jacob’s Well and his meeting with Nicodemus shows us a very “human” and intimate conversation with the people around him. Jesus seems to be an excellent listener and a teacher in these gospel stories from John. What could we learn about life and ourselves from such a personal conversation with Jesus?

Moses and his Israelites are also discussed, and we are reminded of the “human nature” to not only turn on each other but God when things look bad and not going our way? Beverly illustrates how Moses shows us (in Exodus) that God is always among us and he provides when we are in need. Is our faith and spirit strong enough to see God when we think he has abandoned us?

Hear Johnny actually describe the show summary accurately this week, and he manages to sneak in a Jean Grey (from X-Men) and Bruce Lee mention into today’s conversation.

What You Will Hear:

> Discussion of “setting a scene” with the intimate conversations that John describes in his Gospel (Nicodemus & Samarian Women at well)
> The Samarian Woman description and her significance
> The well at the center of the city and the importance of Jacob’s Well
> Living Water = Moses delivers from a rock and Jesus discusses how we will deliver water that will quench your thirst forever
> Theme of “Living Water” – not stagnant but “flowing” from one person to another. Spirit and faith should be “flowing” through us and to each other
> “I am He” – how Jesus knew the Samarian woman
> The “human exchange” between Jesus and the Samarian Women
> The place of Samarian women in the Jewish world
> Jesus is the “deep listener” that can hear what reverberates through your soul
> Jean Grey (X-Men) and her burden of knowing what everyone thinks and feels
> To know what to do with someone’s pain and weight when you can recognize it
> Third week of Lenten Journey of Spirit: meeting God
> Over 40 years the Israelites turn on and quarrel with Moses many times
> The actions and complaints of the Israelites is the story of “US.”
> Beverly shares that she has given up “Facebook” for Lent
> Moses mighty Staff and his connection and relationship with God
> When things don’t go our way – like the Israelites – we pick up a rock, shake or fist to the sky and blame God.
> Faith allows us to come back and God will provide for us
> Hearing God getting “tired and over” the Israelites and their straying from Him
> 40 years in the desert? Moses must have wandered in circles
> The controversy of where Mt. Sinai was located
> Biblical maps gives some readers a grounding to a place to help us understand a story and lesson
> Fleeing and hiding in “the Wilderness” is not a bad thing – it can be a regrouping and reenergizing time
> Jesus’s ministry and journey in the wilderness until he “points his face toward Jerusalem”
> Moses also used “the Wilderness” to prepare to what was coming
> Meeting your Yoda in the Wilderness
> Finding focus and learning how to work without distractions – Cal Newport’s Deep Work best-selling book
> Withdrawing from society and going deep in your inner world, thoughts, and feelings to find some clarity
> Carl Jung had to build a sanctuary to find his center and focus
> The importance and power of a retreat
> JK Rowling’s technique to finish the last “Harry Potter” book
> Going deep to see God, Jesus, the world around us and the “real you”
> The difficult of judging ourselves
> Deeping diving into understanding ourselves (Christ Church Cathedral) with Ministry Architects
> Deep Listening and the Deep Listening Band and their music of reverberation and evolution of participating with the environment
> “Going with the flow” just like water
> Bruce Lee and his martial arts analogy of “being like water, not like the rock”
> Emerging from “The Wilderness” and the importance of the “parking lot” conversations with others
> Spiritual growth and opportunity in every interaction with people and places
> Are we the same person at 18 and at 38?
> Shutting out the world, looking inward, focusing and listening to others to discover who we are and what makes us happy
> Cal Newport’s view of “letting go” of social media
> Balancing between the world of “letting go”, the wilderness and the hustle and bustle of the world
> Of the Earth vs. not of this Earth balancing battle
> The lessons and the message from the discipline of Lent
> Johnny admits that excess social media and the disruptive world getting in the way of prayer and spirituality makes him as quarrelsome as the Israelites in the desert
> Living a life that embraces “minimalism”
> The world and culture of “MORE”
> Lent is a good time for attendance at Church
> The purpose of a Sabbatical
> Katherine Deaton’s living artisanal water well
> The Baptism – living water giving to you from a stagnant rock
> Pulpit To Pew suddenly turns into a financial podcast concerning oil, artisanal water, and the upcoming water supply bubble

In this episode, Rev. Beverly Gibson shares her Leadership Alabama experiences from her trip thru Huntsville, Alabama. Huntsville’s history is a story of rebirth when economic outlooks looked bleak and it’s people are well-known for their spirit of perseverance, evolution even when their future was unknown. From the NASA space program, to new biotech companies, to new emerging technology industries, this city is a great example of building something important by conversion and transformation. Faith can be defined as belief plus action and Huntsville must have it by the rocket payload to make lemons out of lemonade at every turn.

Most cities, and especially people, lack the ability and faith to be able to pivot and blindly change everything when the signs indicate a change is needed for a positive outcome. Abram was 75 years old when God gave him a calling to move to a new part of the world and build a new Kingdom. He left without questioning the decison. Nicodemus, a Pharisee and religious leader, had to change the way he looked at his beliefs and the “law” to be able to grasp Jesus’s message of the New Covenant. Do you have enough faith to change your whole life if God calls you to do so? Would you know what that calling looked and sounded like? Is there something stirring inside you that feels like you need to transform your life to something more and positive? It’s never to late to design the life that you want. A life that God wants for you, that God has given you the gifts to make a reality. Do you have the spirit and believe to do complete the actions needed to seize an opportunity that you know exists but have not been able to see?

In this episode, Rev. Gibson and Johnny Gwin continue discussing Jesus’s beautiful, self-giving and sacrificial lessons of the Sermon on the Mount. “Love your enemy” and “pray for those that persecute you” are not only hard things to do but seems to be in direct opposition to the Old Testament “eye for an eye” rule of retribution. Jesus not only taught these new revisions of what God expects from us; he lived them. He forgave his persecutors and was actually “polite” with his killers until his final mortal breath. Christ’s “perfection” and holy actions are an extreme example of his guiding light to navigate us today in such a polarized world of angry words, hurtful insults and bad actors.

In the last half of the show, Rev. Gibson parallels Rachel Cusk’s New Yorker Magazine essay “Age of Rudeness” with this week’s lessons and readings. Ms.Cusk she shares some real-world experiences and observations of a “rude” world and frames the question: “As the social contract frays, what does it mean to be polite?”

{Except from Rev. Gibson’s Weekly Worship Notes}

Ms. Cusk refers at several points to the Bible, and specifically, to Jesus. Here is one: “[Rudeness] is the outward sign of an inward and unseen calamity. Rudeness itself is not the calamity. It is the harbinger, not the manifestation, of evil. […] What Jesus did was to sacrifice himself, use his body to translate word to deed, to make evil visible. While being crucified, he remained for the most part polite. He gave others much to regret.” In her conclusion, her suggested answer to her presenting question, Ms. Cusk draws on Jesus’ example: “It strikes me that good manners would be the thing to aim for in the current situation. I have made a resolution, which is to be more polite. I don’t know what it will do: this might be a dangerous time for politeness. It might involve sacrifices. It might involve turning the other cheek.” In the end, she writes, “it would be good to have something to navigate by.”

Could following Christ’s teachings and living up to his expectations free us from our “win at any cost” world? What small things can we do as individuals to help bring peace and understanding in such a turbulent environment? How can we start to understand, transform and implement this radical “Christ-like” example of how to deal with even our most difficult neighbors and yes, enemies? The discipline of resisting the urge of “getting someone back” will take a lot of work, patience, prayer and sacrifice but learning to overcome this common human instinct could be transformative for yourself and those that need a swift drop-kick of kindness and understanding.

What Will You Hear:
> Understanding, following, and living the teachings of Jesus is not always Rainbows and Unicorns
> The Sermon on the Mount and it’s messages can be very hard to follow in today’s worldly and modern society
> Insights into the Book of Leviticus
> We are instructed to treat other’s like we treat ourselves – does this apply to people who treat themselves poorly?
> Do we treat ourselves well with our own interior voice? Can we be too hard on ourselves compared to how we talk to and treat others?
> You have to be happy and calm internally to be able to give back to others and be there for others
> Internal harsh expectation carries over to others
> “The Age of Rudeness” – Rachel Cusk – New Yorker Magazine
> The Christ way of not returning a harsh word for a harsh word, or what we know as “turning the other cheek”
> How not to amplify rude and tense moments with strangers
> The truth of rude words and the harsh conversation of family members
> The dangers of talking harshly to the one’s we love – our family & friends
> Pay It Forward movement in daily life
> Ms. Cusk makes a conscious decision – what will happen if I make a constant effort always to be polite? Will this make a real difference in the world?
> Beverly and how her priest collar diffused a tense moment in the post office
> How we are – as a culture – programmed not to act up when we are around priests and church authority
> Sermon on the Mount – more than just being non-confrontational
> Christians need to show that they are more than what worldly authority knows
> Jesus always remained “polite” with his persecutors even up to moment of his death
> I live my life by a different code than that of the world
> “bless your heart” has become a joke and code that may amplify a tense conversation or moment
> What kind of discipline is Jesus asking us to live up to?
> Can Churches be a divisive force personally and in the community?
> Balancing the message of and act of politeness with the natural instinct and reaction of our reptile aggressive brain
> The power of silence in confrontation and tense moments
> Email is difficult to understand communication and context when it comes to complex issues
> Jesus’s teachings free us from living in a “win at any cost” world.
> The book Deep Work by Cal Newport – Beverly’s positive input suggestion for this week
> John Adams HBO mini-series – Johnny’s positive input suggestion for this week
> Takeaway: Try our best to be the example that Jesus taught and lived in his life. Even when dealing with your biggest rival or nemesis to rise above pettiness, see God in all, and instead of fighting power with power – try understanding, empathy, courtesy and silence.

Historically, pilgrims have been described as foreign travelers journeying to reach a destination – physically and spiritually. It’s not just the act of traveling to passively see the sights and gain some memories, that’s more like a tourist. Pilgrims undertake a purposeful external journey, called a pilgrimage, with the aim to bring about a profound internal transformation.

Even though we are not physically on a long and dangerous spiritual pilgrimage (like the Camp de Santiago), maybe we Christians could incorporate the qualities of dedication and mindset of the pilgrim when journeying through our everyday life. What if we decided to “choose life” like Moses suggests in Deuteronomy and embrace Jesus’s teachings of the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. This episode focuses on how when walking with God; we are called to be pilgrims, not tourists? The “Pilgrim’s Way” is not an easy path, but like anything worthwhile, it takes sacrifice, persistence, and discipline.

What you will hear:

> Describing the premise of being God’s Tourist and God’s Pilgrim
> The Characteristics of a Pilgrim – Jonathon Edwards
> Rev. Gibson’s connecting thread of the “Pilgrim’s Way” sermon message and the weekly readings
> The journey of the physical and external change needs to include the total transformation on the internal
> The Great Commandment
> The “Pilgrim’s Way” as an example of fulfilling the baptismal covenant
> Was Moses and Jesus pilgrims?
> A Pilgrims Way teaches a discipline to finish something
> Are we all pilgrims in the normal day everyday journey of life and living
> Dante’s Inferno beginning introduces the whole poem and the idea of his mid-life crisis
> Blindly going through life and how we quietly lose track of your own being
> Poet’s Way – Dante’s personal quest for the search for the divine
> The Pilgrim’s Way dealing with the mid-life crisis
> Sermon on the Mount messages and taking the hard route
> Star Wars Jedi Path as an example of the “Pilgrim’s Way”
> The word Parish – translation of a house for pilgrims
> Moses message of yes or no. There is no maybe when choosing to truly walk with God
> We are all in this life together. Pilgrims do things for themselves but also do for their fellow travelers. Pilgrims travel and support each other
> Zoe Keating (musician) – Beverly loves her music and how she integrates her art with technology, crypto currency, and service
> The Way (movie): Johnny suggests Emilio Estevez’s movie to see an inspirational movie about modern day pilgrimage on a pilgrimage. Available on Netflix.

This is an extra special episode of Pulpit To Pew. Rev. Gibson was visiting Troy, Alabama this Sunday and Johnny was out of pocket. So, we thought this was a great week to share some discussions that didn’t make the last couple of episodes. Beverly and Johnny talk about Paul’s message of unity to the Corinthians and how that relates to the “common ground” and differences of all the Christian denominations. Plus, they share some personal entertaining and inspiring literature and movie recommendations. Enjoy the show and thanks for your support.

What you will hear:
> St. Paul’s admonishment of the lack of unity in the name of Christ
> Early Christians seeing the Apostles as a fixation and not the original message
> Joining a church because of the body of the church, not the head and the charismatic leader
> With so many different denominations and organizations can the Is Christian world be considered united?
> Focusing on the common ground of our religions, not the differences
> What does unite all our different Anglican communities?
> Can religion help to combine our divided nation?
> Church’s as community example of Unity
> Showing others an example of Christian acts, not just words
> Episcopal confession versus Roman Catholic confession
> The scale of penance in the Catholic Church
> The liturgical form of Episcopal confession
> You come to Church to unburden yourself that something that is weighing on you with a private meeting with a Priest
> The Priest’s role in matters of forgiveness, personal and marital relationships, and matters of mental health
> Beverly’s book recommendation of Snowy Tower: Parzival and the Wet Black Branch of Language
> Johnny’s movie recommendation of the unlikely friend and mentor story St. Vincent starring Bill Murray. You can find St. Vincent on Netflix.

In this episode, Rev. Gibson discusses how Jesus presented and taught his ministry mission for building God’s Kingdom – the Beatitudes. Jesus’s vision plan laid out to his early followers, grounded in the Sermon on the Mount gospel, goes against every philosophy of power, wealth, and strength to build a kingdom. Re-examining and re-evaluating this power, beautiful and radical message could be a transformative tool when reflecting on our present lives and the tense moments many are experiencing in our nation. Lastly, Beverly and Johnny look at humility from the pulpit and Prophet Micah’s prophetic message of what God expects from us: to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.

> Micah – the “lawsuit” reading
> How to be good: to do justice, to love kindness, and walk humbly with God
> Overthinking messages and lessons can be a barrier
> The mission statement of Jesus’s journey and building God’s Kingdom is the Beatitudes
> God’s way of Kingdom building
> The Beatitudes comes off as the opposite message of what the people of the time (and now) needed to established a great nation: wealth and power
> Jesus came
> Humility – grounded from the earth – lowly
> We are only here for a season and you are not God – we are temporary
> We are loved and valued by God, but we are temporary and not above anyone else
> We are the creatures, and he is the shepherd
> World Leaders – how should they see themselves
> The first shall be last, and the last shall be first
> Following the way of the cross is not for the weak
> The Beatitudes – this message will rule the whole path
> The Beatitudes as a vetting and weed out class for his followers
> Reconditioning our perspective to understanding Jesus’s message of Sermon on the Mount
> Exegesis defined
> The Sermon on the Mount doesn’t need a lot of exegesis analysis and added interpretation because of the beauty and powerful message
> Sermon on the Mount used by great speakers in history as a servant leader speech model (Martin Luther King, Jr and Gandhi)
> World leaders need for humility and the need for someone to ground them
> Not managing but empowering others leadership message and philosophy
> Another Star Wars reference – the tug of war of the pure light and the darkside
> What is “the pure of heart”?
> To will one thing and to will one thing is to know God
> Relooking and rethinking the descriptions and language of the Beatitudes
> The difference preaching prophetically or pastorally
> What Prophets do
> Prophets: let me tell you what God said to mend your ways and find a way to get you closer to God
> Dealing with an uncertain world from the pulpit as an individual and at the same time as a priest and leader of a diverse parish
> The Gospel speaks itself, and the priest doesn’t have to speak from a perspective to the message to fit a trying and disruptive moment in time
> The pulpit that contains in it – “we want to see Jesus”
> Not getting to emotionally and spiritually attached to the temporary leaders, events, and times of the present
> Don’t believe everything that you think
> Balance your beliefs with the timeless messages with the moments and the urgent temporary world
> The deepest longing we have to be a part of something more than something temporary and more
> Johnny and Beverly admit to be spoiled children
> Johnny Dad’s message of “things are never as bad or as good as you think it is” – keep things in perspective
> Prophet Isaiah’s messages seems very relevant in these recent times
> Cast a big vision, be grounded in where you are now, and figure out where you are going in the future

We would love to hear what you think, or maybe what you would like us to talk about on an upcoming podcast. Email producer Stacy Wellborn at stacywellborn@gmail.com and join in the conversation.Like Pulpit To Pew Podcast?

In this episode, Rev. Beverly Gibson and Johnny Gwin discusses Matthew’s gospel retelling the early walking ministry and the focus of the mission of Jesus. How did Jesus recruit the people he needed for his earthly purpose? How did the first apostles react to Jesus’s request to “follow me”? What made Jesus so charismatic and such a strong servant leader? How would modern people react with such a “life-changing” request to leave the safety and comfort of job, home, family, and city to join Jesus to “fish for people?”

Within the historical background, prophecies, teachings and the Bible narrative of the past, present and what is to come – where are we as individuals in these stories and lessons. Where do we start walking the road with Jesus? Do we walk with him at all? Jesus’s vision is so strong that he becomes a magnet for the right tribe of people to make his ministry and ministry work. How can we take the example of Jesus’s vision and approach to designing the lives that we want?Help support Pulpit To Pew with our Patreon campaign

When the time was right, Jesus took his internal vision and set off in the world to fulfill his purpose. As he took to the road, he met, touched and connected with the external world and others. Against barriers, fear and the unknown Jesus’s ministry started with his first steps. Can we use this “Follow Me” message and lesson to begin the long journey that our vision casts? Maybe it’s time for us to quit talking and start walking down the long road of designing our lives and purpose.

What you will here:
> Jesus’s use of youth for his ministry
> Jesus was not really known as who he was – he was an unknown quantity
> Jesus netting 4 apostles Andrew, Simon, John, James
> The power and aura of confidence that Jesus had to recruit the people he needed for his vision and mission
> Did the apostles know the backstory and the background for the coming of the “Savior”
> The grounding mythos of the “Coming Savior.”
> Casting a vison like a net and cathing people up
> Would we have known and what Jesus was if he approached us?
> What is the “call place” – where am I in the narrative of the big picture?
> Jesus as the example of the servant leader
> Jesus left his own family and security to assemble his own tribe
> The team dynamic of the 12 apostles
> The transformation of individuals in the dynamic of the tribe or group
> That one person every group that is a “nutjob”
> Defining the “crazymaker” – Julian Cameron – The Artist Way
> Judas – The Apostle’s “crazy maker”
> Johnny’s early fear of podcasting
> The barrier and power of fear
> Who is Milton Glaser and Debbie Millman?
> Debbie Millman and her “How To Design A Life.”
> The life and hard crisis moment of vision or “the other way”
> Graphic Design into Life Design
> The 5-year plan and the tools to help you design the life for you
> Writing the last chapter of your story first.
> Writing the last chapter helps you not get stuck in the sticky, long and messy middle chapters
> Rev. Gibson has to put out her vision for how she sees her vision for the Church
> Clarifying “vision” from hallucination visions
> What’s a stretch goal?
> Jesus’s walking ministry
> Walking through the world and touch it to touch you

Pulpit to Pew, a podcast that features a conversation between priest and parishioner, to understand how the message translates and to further explore the weekly lessons within the Episcopal tradition and daily life.

The Very Reverend Beverly Findley Gibson, Ph.D. is the 23rd rector and 2nd Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Mobile, where she has served since her ordination in 2005. Prior to entering the Episcopal priesthood, Dean Gibson was a member of the faculty Troy University for 18 years. She is a graduate of Converse College, the…

A recovering spoiled only child, an ex-bass player in El Cantador (his favorite band ever), wanna-be pro skateboarder & creative Pilgrim, Johnny fell in love with podcasting and hosts two other shows with Deep Fried Studios (Crusader of Cool & Fan of Podcast). A new-comer to the Episcopal Church, even though he still maintains a…